Chadman_s_Ghost
New member
I've not posted in here for a while, but obviously the Robbie Farah 'situation' brings out the opinion in everyone.
A lot of emotion is driving the responses at the moment, and I'm sure it'll calm down once the Tigers are out of the weekly spotlight.
The calls from some for Taylor's sacking over this are a bit harsh. It's hard to believe that Taylor would be allowed to make such a monumental call as to let the captain & highest paid player on the roster go without the full backing of the people above him. In fact, I'd suggest the call is too great to even actually come from Taylor- couldn't it be that the board have decided this is the best way to balance the books? And I'd suggest that it would be better received by Farah (or any player) if the board's decision to let him go came from the coach instead of some board member with no day-to-day contact with the player.
I'm not saying Taylor hasn't had some input in letting Farah leave. Just that to simply believe this all is JT's doing & he needs to be sacked as a result is a bit naive.
Farah has been a terrific player for the Tigers for a long time. And that the club's situation right now is leading to this release of Farah isn't fair on him at all, or the supporters. But that is life. We are governed by the decisions & choices of others when you receive a wage from them. The club has not said Farah won't receive his money. He will be paid. They will meet their contractual obligations to him. While the timing is very poor- with most rosters set for next season- the club & JT have obviously decided to let Farah try to find an alternative situation for him to enjoy his next couple of seasons in his career instead of watching his regular 1st grade spot be handed to Cherrington in front of him.
As for the poor timing- one thing that seems to have been brushed over was a comment from Sam Ayoub that the club told Ayoub BEFORE the Canberra game, and that Ayoub sat on that information & didn't tell Robbie because he didn't know how to break it to him. How many weeks ago was the Canberra game? That would have been valuable time to organise an alternative club for Farah- so either we are getting a VERY biased version of events, or Sam Ayoub has let his client down badly.
The comment earlier that Paul Vautin wasn't as important to Manly as Farah is to the Tigers must have come from someone that doesn't remember Vautin's days at Manly. He WAS that club, and watching him fall apart when they released him was hard even for a supporter of a different team. So Fatty's advice was not only sound, but I suspect very genuine. Robbie would do well to heed the advice of people like Fatty over say, Benji who had decided on his own that he needed out of the Tigers.
I thought Benji on 360 the other night went ok- but as always, he let's his mouth run too long. He had his say on the show- but I still see him talking to the press today about it. It's now too far & Benji should concentrate on Benji. I appreciated his candour & that he stood up for his mate, but that doesn't give him the 'right' if you like to continue bringing it up.
In fact, the 2005 'era' Tigers appear to have that in common- too many of them feel it's quite a good thing to air their grievances to the media. Someone back in that time (That's you, Mr Sheens) probably should have had the likes of Gibbs, Farah, Marshall, Ryan etc schooled in what is & is not appropriate media interaction. Gibbs & Ryan are currently looking like childish fools, while Benji & Farah are looking like they believe in a sense of higher entitlement than others.
I like Robbie Farah as a player. He seems like a good guy too. But he has overseen the downfall of Sheens & Potter, with much speculation to his involvement, and at 32, his career isn't improving. The club is in dire financial trouble & needs to get itself right- or there will be no Tigers for anyone, let alone Robbie Farah. No player is bigger than the club, no employee bigger than the business he/she works at.
There is a clear direction from the board & coaching staff to shift toward a youth movement. It seems we have all forgotten the sweeping changes Sheens brought in when he came in- with several big name players being removed from the roster for young kids & misfits from other clubs.
Did we all question those moves in 2005?
Let JT be the coach. Let the board get the salary cap & finances right. It's what they are entrusted to do.
If it means that a great player like Farah has to be moved on because he is either too expensive, doesn't fit the coach's gameplan, doesn't get on with the coach, influences the younger players too much or is simply regressing as a player- then that is the harsh reality of professional sport.
I don't see Robbie putting up his hand & offering to play in the UK a la Liam Fulton did to ease the cap pressure.
Lastly- the 'playing in reserve grade' comment- whoever it came from- was made in a 'private conversation' between the player, his manager & the coaching staff. I've not heard Reddy or Taylor mention it to the media. Only Robbie. that's rather unprofessional. I understand he would have been upset- and to be fair, when he said it to the media it seemed an 'off hand' comment- but you can't put that on Taylor. Could it have been said? I have no doubt it probably was. Big deal! You don't think that sort of thing gets said in these situations to make the player try to see the coaching staff's side of the situation? "Lok mate, we need you to move on as we want to play Cherrington. I can't guarantee you'll be in the 1st grade squad next year if you stay.."
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In the end- it's an awkward situation, but despite the ridicule from some, Paul Vautin's advise last night is the soundest, and most genuine thing I've heard about it in a week.
A lot of emotion is driving the responses at the moment, and I'm sure it'll calm down once the Tigers are out of the weekly spotlight.
The calls from some for Taylor's sacking over this are a bit harsh. It's hard to believe that Taylor would be allowed to make such a monumental call as to let the captain & highest paid player on the roster go without the full backing of the people above him. In fact, I'd suggest the call is too great to even actually come from Taylor- couldn't it be that the board have decided this is the best way to balance the books? And I'd suggest that it would be better received by Farah (or any player) if the board's decision to let him go came from the coach instead of some board member with no day-to-day contact with the player.
I'm not saying Taylor hasn't had some input in letting Farah leave. Just that to simply believe this all is JT's doing & he needs to be sacked as a result is a bit naive.
Farah has been a terrific player for the Tigers for a long time. And that the club's situation right now is leading to this release of Farah isn't fair on him at all, or the supporters. But that is life. We are governed by the decisions & choices of others when you receive a wage from them. The club has not said Farah won't receive his money. He will be paid. They will meet their contractual obligations to him. While the timing is very poor- with most rosters set for next season- the club & JT have obviously decided to let Farah try to find an alternative situation for him to enjoy his next couple of seasons in his career instead of watching his regular 1st grade spot be handed to Cherrington in front of him.
As for the poor timing- one thing that seems to have been brushed over was a comment from Sam Ayoub that the club told Ayoub BEFORE the Canberra game, and that Ayoub sat on that information & didn't tell Robbie because he didn't know how to break it to him. How many weeks ago was the Canberra game? That would have been valuable time to organise an alternative club for Farah- so either we are getting a VERY biased version of events, or Sam Ayoub has let his client down badly.
The comment earlier that Paul Vautin wasn't as important to Manly as Farah is to the Tigers must have come from someone that doesn't remember Vautin's days at Manly. He WAS that club, and watching him fall apart when they released him was hard even for a supporter of a different team. So Fatty's advice was not only sound, but I suspect very genuine. Robbie would do well to heed the advice of people like Fatty over say, Benji who had decided on his own that he needed out of the Tigers.
I thought Benji on 360 the other night went ok- but as always, he let's his mouth run too long. He had his say on the show- but I still see him talking to the press today about it. It's now too far & Benji should concentrate on Benji. I appreciated his candour & that he stood up for his mate, but that doesn't give him the 'right' if you like to continue bringing it up.
In fact, the 2005 'era' Tigers appear to have that in common- too many of them feel it's quite a good thing to air their grievances to the media. Someone back in that time (That's you, Mr Sheens) probably should have had the likes of Gibbs, Farah, Marshall, Ryan etc schooled in what is & is not appropriate media interaction. Gibbs & Ryan are currently looking like childish fools, while Benji & Farah are looking like they believe in a sense of higher entitlement than others.
I like Robbie Farah as a player. He seems like a good guy too. But he has overseen the downfall of Sheens & Potter, with much speculation to his involvement, and at 32, his career isn't improving. The club is in dire financial trouble & needs to get itself right- or there will be no Tigers for anyone, let alone Robbie Farah. No player is bigger than the club, no employee bigger than the business he/she works at.
There is a clear direction from the board & coaching staff to shift toward a youth movement. It seems we have all forgotten the sweeping changes Sheens brought in when he came in- with several big name players being removed from the roster for young kids & misfits from other clubs.
Did we all question those moves in 2005?
Let JT be the coach. Let the board get the salary cap & finances right. It's what they are entrusted to do.
If it means that a great player like Farah has to be moved on because he is either too expensive, doesn't fit the coach's gameplan, doesn't get on with the coach, influences the younger players too much or is simply regressing as a player- then that is the harsh reality of professional sport.
I don't see Robbie putting up his hand & offering to play in the UK a la Liam Fulton did to ease the cap pressure.
Lastly- the 'playing in reserve grade' comment- whoever it came from- was made in a 'private conversation' between the player, his manager & the coaching staff. I've not heard Reddy or Taylor mention it to the media. Only Robbie. that's rather unprofessional. I understand he would have been upset- and to be fair, when he said it to the media it seemed an 'off hand' comment- but you can't put that on Taylor. Could it have been said? I have no doubt it probably was. Big deal! You don't think that sort of thing gets said in these situations to make the player try to see the coaching staff's side of the situation? "Lok mate, we need you to move on as we want to play Cherrington. I can't guarantee you'll be in the 1st grade squad next year if you stay.."
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In the end- it's an awkward situation, but despite the ridicule from some, Paul Vautin's advise last night is the soundest, and most genuine thing I've heard about it in a week.
